I Reminisce: Air Jordan XX1’s

I’ll spare you the tragic details, but to put it flatly, I grew up broke. In elementary school, a fresh pair of Pro-Wings was about as “fresh” as I’d get. Or if Santa put me on the Nice list, there might be a pair of XJ-900s or some generic FILA’s under the tree. Major labels were mostly reserved for football cleats (on sale at the Chubby ‘N Tubby); I didn’t get my first pair of signature sneaks until the second Iversons came out when I was a teenager.

For me, Air Jordans were both a pipe dream and a source of taunting. I didn’t even bother looking at them in the store — my exposure was limited to my friends bragging about their newest pair, or flipping through the Eastbay catalog, claiming “I’ma get those!” knowing I was lying. Scrapping through high school and college on a respectable collection of mostly non-descript kicks, along the way I made a decision: When I got my first full-time job out of college, I would reward myself by taking my first paycheck and buying whatever new pair of Jordans were out. Didn’t matter if they were ass-ugly or if they cost $200, I was getting ’em.

(And yes, back then I knew everything I know now about the socio-economic trappings and the status symbolism of the whole thing, but that didn’t stop me from buying in. If you grew up broke, you’d understand.)

Now it’s 2006, and I’m fresh off the plane in New York City, my first day of my first “real” job at Dime. Soon after claiming my desk and meeting most of the crew face-to-face, my editor, Pat Cassidy, calls me into his office. He hands me a black shoebox with the unmistakable Jumpman logo. A “Welcome to the family” gift. I’m still disbelieving at this point, not wanting to get too excited for a letdown, but I know what’s up. I open the box, and there’s my first pair of Jordans. XX1’s. White, black and red. My size. And they weren’t even ugly. I wasn’t gonna cry or anything, but it was a moment.

I’m not much of a sneakerhead, so I wouldn’t know where the XX1’s rank on the hierarchy of Jordans, but they’ll always stand out to me. I’ve since owned a few other pairs of J’s, but those were also work perks: I still haven’t bought that first pair of Jordans I promised to buy.

But goals change, and I’ve made a new one: When the day comes, I’m paying whatever it costs for a infant-sized pair of XX1’s — my baby’s first pair of kicks.

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im no sneakerhead…honestly i dont even like jordan’s. most of them are pretty ugly to me.

but i remember in middle school. Kids were buying them and putting plastic grocery bags over their “so called jordans” so they wouldnt get them dirty…….what was the point?

By: mememememe

09.11.2009 @ 1:10 PM

sorry that had nothing to do with your post, i just felt like mentioning it….lol

By: sweetv0mit

09.11.2009 @ 1:11 PM

wow.. good story…. i bought the shox bb4 as my very first purchase with my very first paycheck

By: Rockets

09.11.2009 @ 1:17 PM

good story! I would have cried haha

By: Maynard

09.11.2009 @ 1:30 PM

Nice article, I like that. After getting the job in ’04 I currently have now, I went out and got the Cavs colors LeBron AF1 to celebrate. Can definitely relate.

By: control

09.11.2009 @ 1:34 PM

I grew up DIRTY poor…so my first REAL pay cheque, and it was a really good one, I went wild.

Picked up two pairs of Vince’s first shox shoes (dark and light), updated the wardrobe, went to a massage parlor, and got me two hookers (at same time). I guess the last one was only a rental, but was still worth mentioning.

By: calvin brodus

09.11.2009 @ 1:57 PM

i too grew up broke. there was always food on the table, but never money for jordans…and jesus god did i want me some j’s when i was a boy. and, i too also told myself as a lad that i was gonna get jordans as soon as i got the cash. funny thing is, once i finally started getting that grown up money, i didn’t want the j’s anymore. now that i can afford some expensive kicks, i mainly buy lowtop chucks in about the $40 range.

By: the_don_mega (representin' the 3 stars and a sun)

09.11.2009 @ 2:26 PM

good one AB…

By: Taj

09.11.2009 @ 2:46 PM

AT least you got Fila’s.. I was rocking Brooks, dem shits had no grip I was sliding all over the gym during bball practice! LOL!!

By: weezy f

09.11.2009 @ 2:49 PM

after the 18’s jordan has gone downhill..the 19’s SE’s were ok tho..hella comfortable

By: Mr. TKO

09.11.2009 @ 3:05 PM

I’m with you AB, I grew up on a steady stream of Payless Puma’s and Kmart jackets, NO J’s or Starter jackets for me. So I know exactly how you felt when kids would talk about which Jordan’s they have and how many colors of the same model that they had. I remember walking around with my ebay’s checking the clearance section, knowing full well that i couldn’t afford those ones either, but it still helped me feel like I was making moves. I think I didn’t get my first pair of J’s until I was in college, with my first refund check. I loved the hell out them damn shoes. As I got older,

By: bliz289

09.11.2009 @ 3:10 PM

good story Austin…always nice to see the real side of the Dime crew.

By: dave

09.12.2009 @ 12:31 AM

goood story

By: Seven Duece

09.12.2009 @ 1:51 AM

Boy this is my life right here. Minus the free shoes, dammit.

By: Derik

09.12.2009 @ 10:57 AM

back in 6th grade, all the popular kids had Air Jordan IX, I wasn’t able to have one (my first AJ is the 14), when the retros came out few years ago, I bought 4, i still have a brand new pair left, JB didn’t retro the IX since (except the 9/14 2 pair set), still waiting for the second retro so I can lay my hands on more IXs, best looking air jordan ever.

By: BiG ShoT BoB

09.12.2009 @ 7:13 PM

Great article Austin this is exactly how I grew up so when I could buy them myself I became a collector and own close to 200 pairs

By: weng santos

09.13.2009 @ 9:13 AM

Performance-wise, the 18 lows and the 16 and 23 mids are my favorites.

By: T.J.

09.13.2009 @ 7:30 PM

I feel you on this story. Even though I’m not outta HS yet my first pair of Jay’s was special to me. Begging my parents for them was hard too lol.

By: Atrain206

09.16.2009 @ 11:34 AM

Pretty much my favorite ones. I’m still looking for the all white ones. Keep repping the 206. You still ain’t said where you ball in Seattle though. Holla back cause I need some new spots to ball at.